A Dark King's Daughter II: The Assassin's Daughter

chapter 7

Sain stormed through the hallway, still angry that his father was making him do such a ridiculous thing for Esmé. All because she got a cut on her hand. Ridiculous. He had just finished making that stupid dagger for his sister, and his father was soon going to show him how to engrave it. But his work was done for the day and he’d rather take a beating than work anymore.

His hands ached. He almost debated dipping them in a bucket full of ice cubes and water. He wasn’t sure if it would’ve helped, but at least it would’ve cut the pain off for five minutes.

He turned a corner to find his mother. He wanted to ask her if he was still grounded. He figured it was over since his father returned home- as she said it would when he did.

He continued down the hall, picking at a blister when her voice stopped him. He heard Tiko’s as well. He knew from experience that both eavesdropping and interrupting were both rude, but figured the better of interrupting.

He stood against the wall, listening as Tiko prattled about something. He wanted to earn her respect back. She was almost like his big sister. One Esmé would never be.

“I’m just happy he’s finished, that’s all.” She was saying to Nino. “But if he ever goes back out like that again, I’ll kick his ass myself.”

“Oh, Tiko you know he does it out of old habit.” His mother spoke. “But it did disturb me every time he came home bloodier than the first.”

“I wonder what he got into.”

“It’s best not to ask. He doesn’t even tell me that stuff.”

Sain’s brow furrowed. Maybe now he could figure out where his father had been for the past few months. And why.

He heard shifting and the clinking of a glass against a wood surface. He couldn’t see into her room, but still could hear everything perfectly.

“Remember when he used to get insulted if you asked if those sorts of pet peeves were the ways of assassins?” Tiko had a high, humorous chime in her voice.

Nino laughed. “Yeah, I do. He still does.”

Assassins?

“I miss the League. I may not have been a part of it, but they were all pretty cool.” Tiko yawned.

The League?

“How can you? Most of them are here in my court.”

“I know . . . but it was just cool and all.”

“Hm.”

“Was Jaffar the only one?”

“What, assassin? Yes, I’m pretty sure. That I know of. Everyone else seemed to specialize in some sort of thievery or hacking.”

Tiko giggled. “Like they taught me.”

Sain’s eyes widened. Did she mean that his father . . . was an assassin? His breath caught in his throat and his muscles tensed. There was no way. How could that be possible? Was that the reason he kept coming and going lately?

He continued to listen.

“Well . . . he’s done now. Hopefully permanently this time.” Nino continued. “I don’t understand why he went after it after having so many years of . . . can I call it retirement?”

“He’s still very capable, Nino.” Tiko responded. “He’s always been very physically fit.”

“Just like when he was twenty. Yeah, I remember. Sometimes I wondered if he ever killed just for fun.”